BLUE sharks are considered to be dangerous and people are warned to steer clear of them.

They have been involved in numerous attacks on people and many of them have resulted in death due to the force of the jaws and teeth that this species of shark has.

But in the name of conservation, Environment Minister John Griffiths caught two magnificent blue sharks when he joined WWF Cymru on a shark-tagging trip off the coast of Wales.

While they generally only move along at a normal pace blue sharks are recorded as the second fastest shark in the world.

Despite this, the Minister helped to reel in two of the four blue sharks landed during the trip around 25 miles off the Pembrokeshire coast, the first of which was caught within minutes of arriving at the fishing ground.

The giant fish – which measured around seven-feet-long – were captured as part of a project which aims to support conservation efforts by gathering information about them. The sharks were quickly assessed and then released back into the sea.

The UK shark tagging programme was set up in 1999. There was a lack of information about the distribution, seasonal movements and reproduction of most of our native shark species such as tope, smooth hound, blue, porbeagle and thresher.

And in 2000, the programme was launched across the UK, issuing detailed instructions on correct animal handling and release procedures.

As a voluntary programme it is supported by skippers and anglers throughout the UK as a way of encouraging responsible “catch and release” angling methods.

Blue sharks don’t have any set habitat area that they continually return to. And they have been known to move thousands of miles in the water in the span of very little time.

A high proportion of specimens tagged off our coasts are in most cases caught again by Spanish, Portuguese and sometimes even Japanese commercial fishing fleets. Tagged blue sharks have been recaptured having covered almost 2,000 nautical miles.

In addition to looking for food it is believed they do this for mating purposes as well.

They are one of the few species of sharks that stick together in small groups.

They have their own hierarchy that is determined by various factors, including the sex and size of each member.

The Minister spent a day on the boat which was part of the UK Shark Tagging Programme, on a trip organised by the environmental charity WWF Cymru to show him some of the rich variety of wildlife off the Welsh coast which needs protection.

Mr Griffiths said: “There is still a lot we do not know about the marine environment – and this has been a great opportunity to see evidence-gathering first hand.

“The more we know about marine habitats and species in our waters the more we are able to make informed decisions about how we manage our seas.”

The blue shark is a “pelagic” shark, which means it lives in the open waters of the seas and oceans, from the surface to a depth of 350m.

Recognised by its distinctive blue colour, these majestic creatures, like most shark species, are now at risk from both accidental capture in fishing gear and the continuing consumer demand for shark fins. They usually grow up to an average of 230cm in length. The sharks feed on other fish such as mackerel and herring and scavenge on other creatures.

Vital statistics such as sex, condition, weight and size are recorded before the sharks are tagged and quickly and carefully released back into the sea.

Anne Meikle, head of WWF Cymru, said: “It seems the Minister is something of a natural when it comes to shark fishing!

“I am delighted that we were lucky enough to see these beautiful, yet vulnerable creatures on the trip as well as dolphins, gannets and the ‘pirate’ of seabirds – the Skua.

“We wanted to share with the Minister a personal experience with some of the wonderful range of creatures that can be found around the Welsh coast and to highlight that there is still much we don’t know about many species that visit our waters. The Minister has a key role to play with his responsibility for marine planning, licensing and conservation.

“Protecting highly mobile species such as sharks, cetaceans and seabirds needs co-operation between regional and national Governments.”